1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printer for printing images and the like on recording medium such as photosensitive recording sheets, particularly to a printer for printing on a plurality of recording medium effectively and continuously.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In prior printers, a photosensitive recording sheet is exposed to light before pressing it to develop, thereby forming an image on a surface of the photosensitive recording sheet. As an example, Japanese Patent Application Publication 2000-147678(A) discloses a recording apparatus such that: a photosensitive recording sheet called the Cycolor media is used that is formed of lamination of microcapsules filled with either one of coloring materials of cyan, magenta, and yellow each; the photosensitive recording sheet has a light of desired wavelength irradiated to a surface thereof to expose a color image; in other words, the surface is made to react to a light of specific wavelength to cure a sensitive material filled in the microcapsule together with the coloring material; the curing makes coloring reaction of the coloring material inactive; after that, a high pressure is applied to the active microcapsule without reacting to the light of specific wavelength to destroy for development (coloring), thereby forming the color image.
The prior printer mentioned above has an advantage that a running cost for printing can be kept low as consumable materials such as toner and ink or ink ribbon are not needed except for the above-mentioned Cycolor media only for forming, or printing, the color image. However, it has a problem pointed out that it takes a long time to print on a single photosensitive recording sheet (Cycolor media) as the pressing and developing processes have to be made after some stabilization time called the dark time required after the exposing process.
To shorten the processing time, the above-mentioned prior printer is modified to make the sheet feeding and exposing processes in such a parallel way that a plurality of retaining tables for holding the photosensitive recording sheet is formed of a polyhedron, and the retaining tables form a cyclic arrangement having a feedable first position for feeding the recording sheet, a second position for exposing the image to the fed recording sheet, and a dischargeable third position. The method can shorten the process time for the plurality of photosensitive recording sheets while allowing for the dark time.
However, even the above-described prior art has problems still that the apparatus is made large as wide space is needed in the apparatus for containing the plurality of retaining tables formed of polyhedron, and also an additional driving arrangement for operating the cyclic arrangement is needed, and further a complicated control system is needed for the cyclic operation of the plurality of retaining tables. As a result, it would be involved in high apparatus manufacturing cost, or cost increase.
With respect to shortening a continuous process time for a plurality of media, various prior art has been disclosed and is available in a variety of fields and apparatuses. As an example, Japanese Patent Application Publication Hei 5-97305(A) discloses a technique capable of making a processing speed higher, or shorten a processing time, by using a sheet inversing unit having a switchback path that controls a feed timing for the sheets fed successively, thereby allowing overlapping feed of the successive sheets on the switchback path.
An object of the present invention is to provide a printer for printing a plurality of recording media successively that no large-scale arrangements are provided for printing processes to meet a required printing accuracy and to shorten a processing time.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a printer of low price by way of suppressing apparatus manufacturing costs with use of simple feed driving arrangements and controls.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a printer that no large-scale arrangements are provided for printing processes to meet a required printing accuracy and to shorten a processing time.
Briefly the foregoing objects are accomplished in accordance with aspects of the present invention by a printer, comprising in combination for forming an image on a surface of a recording medium: preprocessing means for preprocessing the surface of the recording medium to form an image on the surface of the recording medium; post-processing means for post-processing the surface of the recording medium preprocessed by the preprocessing means to form the image on the surface of the recording medium; a recording medium feed path formed between the preprocessing means and the post-processing means; first feed device arranged on an upstream side of the recording medium feed path; and, second feed device arranged on a downstream side of the recording medium feed path; wherein the first feed means and the second feed device are made different in driving control from each other. Driving supply to the second feed device may be run while driving supply to the first feed device is stopped, thereby feeding the preceding recording medium to the post-processing means.
The printer further comprises in combination: a switchback section for substantially extending the recording medium feed path wherein the second feed means is provided in the switchback section. The switchback section has a switchback path installed therein vertically and the second feed means is arranged on the switchback path and has a switchback driving arrangement for independently driving the second feed means.
A switching gate is provided between the first feed means and the second feed device on the recording means feed path for switching a feed direction for the recording medium, the switching gate being movable between a first position for guiding the recording medium fed by the second feed device to the post-processing means and a second position for opening the upstream side and the downstream side on the recording medium feed path for allowing the recording medium to be transferred from the first feed device to the second feeding means. The second feed device may comprise a reversible feed roller and the switching gate may be positioned at the first position in synchronous with either of normal or reverse rotation of the feed roller.
The preprocessing means may have an exposing section for making exposure on the recording medium and the post-processing means may have a developing section for making development by pressing the recording medium having the exposure made thereon by the exposing section. It is preferable that the developing section has a pressure roller for pressing the recording medium at a specific pressure and for feeding the recording medium and a feed speed of the recording medium fed by the pressure roller is slower than a feed speed of the recording medium fed by the first and second feed means.
The printer further comprises in combination: a cutting section for cutting edges of the recording medium developed by the developing section and third feed device for feeding to the cutting section the recording medium developed by the developing section. It is preferable that a feed speed of the recording medium fed by the third feed device is faster than a feed speed of the recording medium fed by the pressure roller. The feed speed of the recording medium fed by the first and second feed means may be virtually same as the feed speed of the recording medium by the third feed means.
The foregoing and other objects, advantages, manner of operation and novel features of the present invention will be understood from the following detailed description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.